


Out of the Dead Lands

by louluna



Category: Fantastic Four (Comicverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Body Horror, Bugs, Death, Human Experimentation, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Resurrection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-28 17:26:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16727757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/louluna/pseuds/louluna
Summary: Johnny and Peter live and die and live again in the Negative Zone.





	Out of the Dead Lands

**Author's Note:**

> An alternate retelling of Fantastic Four #587 and #600 where Johnny sacrificed himself to close the portal between Earth and the Negative Zone this time ft. Peter Parker. 
> 
> Art by the magnificent [Pariah's Dream](https://pariah-arts.tumblr.com/)!! 
> 
> Find their B E A U T I F U L artwork [here](https://pariah-arts.tumblr.com/post/180447929143/another-spideytorch-big-bang-done-this-time-i-had)

The Annihilation Wave was coming. It was right on the horizon, blotting out the sky.

“Someone’s going to have to stay behind,” Val had said.

The words echoed in his head over and over, not making sense. They couldn’t leave someone behind, that’s not how it worked.

Ben looked at him and smiled.

“Get everyone on the other side, Johnny,” he said, shouldering his gun with a wince. “I’ll be stayin’ now.”

Johnny shook his head.

“You’ve got to be joking,” he said, too harshly. “We're not leaving someone behind to deal with all that.”

Johnny threw his arm out gesturing to the incoming horde.

“Kid, there’s no other option.”

“What do you mean there’s no other option. We have the Future Foundation with us—the smartest kids on the planet and—and,” Johnny turned to wear Spider-Man who was standing crouched next to Val, they were speaking in low whispers, “Spider-Man he’s smart too.”

Ben put a hand on his shoulder. Johnny shoved it off easily. All he could think was how Ben’s grip was different—weak where once it had been unmovable.

“Kid…”

““C’mon! There’s gotta be something you’re not thinking of…right?”

He turned to the kids, eyes pleading. They were the smartest damn kids on earth. Of course they could figure this out.

Only yesterday, Bentley and Val had constructed a death ray in twenty minutes flat. Why couldn’t they figure out how to close the the Negative Zone portal without sacrificing one of their own?

Desperately he looked towards Peter, for what—he wasn’t even sure. Some sort of denial, a joke, the answer to all their problems, anything to stop the tightening in his chest.

Peter shook his head minutely.

“Not this time,” Ben cut in. “Listen, kid, I never thought I’d walk in my own skin again even for a week. You gave me the best time o’ my life. No way I go out owin’ you so I’m staying. Take care of the kids, Johnny.”

Even without the rocky exterior his voice sounded like two stones grinding.

This couldn’t be real, the mounting reality of their failure.

“One hundred and seventy-eight seconds until impact,” Bentley said, watching the skies through some binoculars he no doubt fashioned on the spot.

“Less than three minutes, Uncle Ben,” Val said, her voice hitched slightly, cool facade finally starting to crack. Peter grabbed her hand and started pulling her gently towards the gate. Johnny watched her go. Her movements were stiff, even now trying to imitate the airs of an adult she wasn’t.

“Let’s go, kiddos,” Peter said, the hand not holding Valeria’s grabbing Bentley up by the middle. “Field trip’s over.”

Johnny watched, silently, as Peter shuffled the kids to safety.

Everything seemed to move too fast and too slow all at once. Ben was already turning away from him. Leaving him. There had to be something better than this. But he wasn’t Reed, he wasn’t smart like Peter or Val. Ben wasn’t going to change his mind. It made Johnny’s skin prickle—angry—as if Ben could even help in his human form, like he even had the right to take the blow now and leave Johnny to deal with everything else.

The math was easy. The kids, Reed, _Sue_ —they’d miss Johnny, they loved Johnny, he knew that.

But they needed Ben. The Fantastic Four needed Ben.

No one needed him, not really.

Johnny watched Ben as Ben watched the skies.

 _We don’t do these things alone_ —Reed had told him once— _And we don’t do them in a way that endangers others_. But Reed had been wrong. Sometimes you had to do things alone when it was the only way to save the people you loved.

He couldn’t let Ben stay.

Johnny jumped when Peter returned, not expecting him to come back after the kids were safely on the other side of the gate. His shoulder gently bumped against Johnny’s own. He soaked in Peter’s body heat always so comforting, especially now when everything else felt electric and wrong.

Peter turned to the inky green horizon.

“I’ll be honest,” he began, swinging his arm out at the incoming horde. “When you promised a relaxing night with friends, this is not exactly what I had in mind—”

Ben chuckled.

Johnny shoved him. “Shut up, Peter.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Peter said, before stilling, his head cocked slightly. Johnny didn’t have to be told when Peter’s spider-sense was at work. He’d seen it in action enough times.

They had maybe a little more than two minutes until game over. Johnny didn’t need a dumb alarm system to tell him that.

Ben grabbed Peter’s forearm in a rough semblance of a handshake.

“Well,” Ben said. “It’s been fun. But time’s up now.”

“You sure about this?” Peter asked, quietly.

Ben nodded, determination settling in his features. He thumbed his finger towards Johnny. “You’ll take care o’ the kid?”

Johnny made a face but before he could say anything, Peter just nodded. “Of course.”

It suddenly struck Johnny as odd, how easily Peter was letting this all happen. He’d been with the kids since the beginning trying to figure out how to secure the gate. Must have know early on that it couldn’t be closed from the lab.

When Johnny had still been in the air, weaving through the floating debris of the Zone, securing their perimeter. He remembered seeing Peter and Val off to the side, their heads heads bent together, two big brains trying to fix everything.

Now Peter seemed more focused on the horizon than any one of them, more still than Johnny had ever seen him, body taught like a string.

Like a bolt of lightning Johnny knew what he was planning, knew Peter Parker professional pain in his ass would never make this easy.

He was going to try and stay behind—had been, probably, since the moment he realized it was the only way to close the gate.

Johnny’s fingers curled.

He was not going to let that happen.

Johnny checked once more to make sure all the children had made it through, that they were all safe— _thank God_ —it was just the three of them left.

It was now or never. His only chance was to move before Peter and hope he didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. Johnny knew if Peter figured out his plan--if he got even one hand on him--it would be over.

But he was the Human Torch and no one touched him unless he wanted them to.

They were only feet from the gate’s edge, he could see the inside of Reed’s lab from here.

“Okay, that settles it then,” Johnny said.

He grabbed a fistful of Peter’s spandex and Ben’s shirt and cranked up his temperature, letting the burning air spread around him, hands sizzling hot at their backs. For once he didn’t care if he burned them, that was better than the alternative.

Ben was the easiest, still not used to being so easily moved, and surprised like it never occurred to him that Johnny would do this, that he would sacrifice everything he had to save him. He saw as Ben crossed the threshold and knew Peter would follow right behind.

“ _You sonnuva_ —!”

Johnny lunged at the portal switch locking him in.

It was over.

For a moment Johnny just stood there, head hung over the consoles, nervous steam curling from his mouth. He winced as he heard Ben punch at the barrier.

“You stupid, dumb…open this back up! Open it!” Ben roared, his voice was breaking and desperate, Johnny almost didn’t want to turn around. But he had to say goodbye, tell them he loved—

It wasn’t the view he wanted.

Johnny’s lungs felt like lead, the acrid taste of the Negative Zone’s green smog catching in his throat.

Peter stood there, back to him, the emblem on his back glowing bright with the portal’s red glare, his fingertips barely touched the barrier.

_He was on the wrong side._

“Pete, no no no _no_ —”

Peter still hadn’t turned around. All Johnny could see was that dumb red spider.

“I stick to things,” Johnny heard him say. Still, Peter wouldn’t face him, “and I’m stronger than you. You really thought you could push me through? _You_?”

His voice was low and smooth but his shoulders were taut and the hand not touching the surface of the gate was curled in a tight fist.

When Peter finally turned to him, Johnny knew he was furious just by the lines of his body, menacing in the sickly light. The mask’s eyes blank and staring.

He stepped forward, hand twitching, like he wanted to grab Johnny and toss him.

“Re-open the gate,” Peter hissed. “Go through. _You have a family_.”

It was a futile demand, they both knew. Johnny had used the last possible moment to try— _to fail_ —in getting Peter and Ben through.

Peter started to pace.

“I—I could make more time,” Franklin’s tiny voice offered, his eyes huge and tinted red from the light of the gate.

Johnny shook his head. He would never risk that, not when they couldn’t be sure how much Franklin had control.

Franklin was safe on the other side and Johnny was going to make sure he stayed that way.

He locked eyes with Ben.

“No,” Ben agreed, his hand landing heavy on Franklin’s hair. “That’s not...that’s...”

Ben was at a loss, looking at the both of them, skin pale and eyes beseeching.

Peter finally stopped pacing and sighed, kneeling so he was level with Val. His shoulders relaxed, he pulled off his mask. “You’re the genius, pretty lady. Tell me how to lock this tech down.” He grinned, knuckles knocking lightly on the barrier. “Cause I’m useless unless it’s connected to the web.”

He winked as Val wrinkled her nose.

“Really?” she asked. “The _web_?” Her eyes were glassy. Johnny’s heart ached.

“Hey, now.” Peter frowned, making a face at her. He straightened up towards the consoles. “That’s all I had at a moment’s notice. So some appreciation would be appreciated, capisce?”

He was putting on a show, pretending all was normal. That everything was fine. He was doing it for the kids’ benefit, for Ben’s, maybe for Johnny himself. Johnny kind of hated him for it.

Val’s big eyes were too much, Franklin’s guilty stare. Johnny’s eyes slid past them to meet Ben’s.

His hand touched the barrier. “When you see Reed...you tell him...tell him this is where I made my stand.”

Peter was entering the code Val gave him as she promised to come back. A desperate plea no one believed.

“Engaging locking mechanism,” Peter said. He looked up, something finally dawning on him and for the first time since they ended up here, he looked a little desperate. “Ben, just—check up on May, will you? Don’t let her be alone. Please, Ben.”

All Ben could do was nod but then he was surging forward again, hands shaking, beating at the barrier. “This can’t--wait. No. No--no no no!”

Each punch was louder than the last and Johnny couldn’t help but watched in morbid fascination as Ben’s rocky exterior finally returned. Just a few minutes sooner and Johnny would never have been able to get him through the portal. He felt hysterical laughter bubble from his lips.

“Unbelievable,” Johnny said. It felt like ashes in his mouth. “You don’t wish it anymore than I do.”

Johnny looked Ben right in the eyes, knowing this was the last time Ben would ever see him.

The portal closed.

They were gone. They were safe.

Not everyone.

“You absolute fucking _moron_ ,” Johnny growled, turning around and grabbing fistfulls of Peter’s suit, shaking hard. “What the hell?”

This was the Fantastic Four’s failure not Peter’s, not Spider-Man’s but here he was taking on responsibility that wasn’t his—and dying for it.

This wasn’t his territory, the gate wasn’t in _his_ home.

The FF were supposed to handle these things. But Johnny hadn’t even been good enough to save him.

He shook Peter again, sparks jumped from his eyes. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

Peter looked back at him, incredulous, his hands wrapped over Johnny’s fisted ones.

“ _Me_ —hold on, are you serious? Who are you?!” he shouted back. “You shouldn’t be here. I could’ve—”

“You think you’re helping?” Johnny’s fingers curled deeper into red spandex. “ _You_ with some dumb web shooters and—and dumb strength? It won’t even dent that army. You’re dead, do you get that? You. Are. Dead. And you didn’t, Pete—you—just, only one of us had to stay, and—and, this wasn’t your problem.”

Peter’s head tilted back, letting out a frustrated breath, all at once the fight seeping out of him. One foot kicked at the crumbling dirt below.

“Not my problem,” he grumbled. “You’ve always been my problem—this is just like an extension.”

Johnny felt the anger bubbling up again. “Are you kidding me right now—”

“I wasn’t going to let you do this alone,” Peter interrupted, his eyes clear and sharp. As if it was simple as that.

But it wasn’t.

“ _No_ ,you don’t get to…” Johnny had never wanted to kick someone so badly in his life. “You didn’t want me to do this at all.”

Peter leaned forward, all imposing, his mouth set in a hard line. Johnny felt Peter’s breath on his cheek.

They were so close.

“Listen, Torch, I’m not apologizing and I’m not asking you to either.”

Johnny growled, pushing him away. Peter was suppose to be too smart for this.

 _I’ve killed him_ , Johnny thought. He was the one that had asked Peter come over, after all. Wanting some company—always wanting Peter’s company. Thinking it would be good for Ben, make some memories in his human skin. That they could all be normal for once.

But now the Annihilation Wave was almost on top of them. The distinct sound of a million snapping pincers filled his ears.

“Listen,” Peter said. “You gotta get up high. Take out as many as you can. I’ll hold down the gate for as long as I can.”

“Great, you get the easy job, figures.”

"Well, maybe if you were paying me.”

“A million dollars, sound good to you? I’ll write the check right now.” Flames licked up Johnny’s skin. “Gotta pen?”

“Can’t say that I do, Torch.”

There was so many things left to say. Important things even--to his family, to Peter especially. But not now. He guessed, not ever.

Johnny watched Peter step forward, all broad shoulders and defiant features, the best and probably last thing Johnny would ever see. His brown hair was in total disarray.

 _God_ , Johnny wanted to kiss him. Isn’t that how these things were supposed to go—a kiss at the end of the world? But Peter was already moving, running towards the fray, trying to keep the bugs away from the gate. Buying Johnny time he didn’t have to give.

“So this is it,” he said instead. The air around him exploding with dead heat.

He burned everything that came near. Blasted thousands of of bug soldiers out of the sky, he swooped low, setting fire to the thronging masses of Annihilus’ army. He saw a flash of red and blue to the left of him.

“Johnny, listen you need to go nova,” Peter said. His costume was ripped, he’d lost a web shooter already. One arm hung useless and bloody at his side. Still Peter was grinning.

“What? You can’t be serious you’ll--”

“It doesn’t matter! We gotta take out as many of these overgrown slugs as we can,” Peter said.

“No, Pete I can’t," Johnny said. "You can’t ask me to do that.”

Peter looked at him, eyes gone soft. “It’s not fair, I know. Johnny, listen to me, I know. But we stayed to protect the gate and that’s what we’re going to do.” He nodded once before disappearing back into the swarm. “DO IT NOW, TORCH!”

Johnny watched him go and he burned--painful--like trapped hellfire in his chest, searing him through. He couldn’t see Peter anymore, had no idea how to get him back. Knowing it was a lost cause even if he could because Peter was right. They had both known what staying meant.

Through it all the horde kept coming, not that Johnny had ever thought they could stop it in the end.

“A billion to one,” he said. “You think I’m afraid of that?” The air around him warped with heat, Johnny willed himself hotter. “You think I’m afraid of that? Flame on!”

He rose high above them all letting the grief consume him for just a moment, looking across the expanse of this dead, cruel place. Fueled by desperation, aching with loss -- he let the fire rip out of him, incinerating the world. Huge swaths of the army burnt away, Peter surely among them.

“Idiot,” he mumbled, numb to it all.

Johnny was falling. Burned hotter than he ever had. Nothing mattered now. He killed Peter -- _he killed Peter_. He felt empty.

Maybe he could finally find some quiet as he laid face first in the cracked earth. No more clicking, no more dull buzz in his ears. Silence.

It lasted ten seconds.

The bug soldiers kept coming. Even more than before. Millions of them, warships dotting the sky. Annihilus at the head, cosmic control rod in hand, like a small sun, nothing but death in its orbit.

Johnny groaned as he stood. That was fine. He was on borrowed time anyway. He’d never gone Nova twice before. What’s the worst that could happen?

He eyed Annihilus, if Johnny could take him out then it would all be over. He tried to pull the heat but there wasn’t enough. He wasn’t fast enough. And he was falling again, struck to the ground by Annihilus, hissing loud in his ears.

Something was clawing at him, wrapping him tight. Johnny strained against the bonds, struggling to turn. He searched for a glimpse of red and blue. Knowing it was useless. Knowing he’d burnt Peter to less than nothing.

And it hadn’t even mattered.

“Give usss. Give usss. Open the gate,” Annihilus hissed, cruel hand gripping his chin, tilting his head forward to meet empty red eyes.

“Go to hell,” Johnny growled back.

He’d never put his family in danger, would never let Peter’s death be in vain.

He saw the axe come down.

Then nothing.

* * *

 

His chest was split in two. He was dead. His family was safe. Peter was dead. He killed Peter. He couldn’t breathe. Dead. Again and again and again.

_Here you die. In the Negative Zone, you can live._

Johnny’s eyes burned as they opened. The sterile green light leaving him colder than he’d felt for years. He was in a chrome colored room, every surface pristine, at odds with the clicking bodies around him--half bug, half metal. All menacing.

And then he saw his chest.

No.

Not his chest. His chest didn’t move like that. No human chest moved like that.

Hundreds of worms swam around his insides, midnight black and tearing viciously into him.

He wanted to vomit, he wanted to scream but he didn’t have the lungs. Something was shoved over his mouth, he couldn’t get enough oxygen. He couldn’t access his flames.

“You isss sstrong here at the dying,” one of them hissed. “The wormsssss reconnect. They bringsss you back.”

He couldn’t move his body, couldn’t feel his skin. The worms slithered up and down, just under his skin. He could barely hear over their hissing mouths.

He saw a clawed hand shoving more worms into his abdomen as it said, “Thisss human ssssad, lessss interesssting, not ssspecial.”

Johnny had to get out of here, he felt his fingertips spark.

A guttural yell. “Sssstop burning my wormssss.”

Johnny tried to move, push them away, anything. But he still couldn’t breathe. All he saw was black.

“Sssstop burning!”

* * *

 

Johnny woke with a start.

For a brief moment he forgot where he was, couldn’t remember what he’d done to end up here. But then he saw his chest, still writhing with worms, stitching him back together, and everything came rushing back—the kids, the gate, Ben. Peter.

He clutched at his head, trying to calm down. His fingers brushing against a slick lump on his forehead, and a disgusting itch crawled over his face. More worms working to stitch his cleaved skull back together.

“So gross,” muttered.

He was in what looked to be a small cell, the only accommodation a stone bench made of the same material as the floor. All they’d given him was a tattered blanket.

“Don’t mess with it,” a voice said to his left and it made him jump as he finally took notice around him. “Let them do their work.”

The whole front of his prison was made entirely of tinted blue glass that glowed dully all around him. His stomach filled with dread as he looked out around him.

Hundreds and hundreds of cells, just like his, stacked on top of each other forming a huge mosaic of honeycombed walls. Each one exactly the same and stretched on as fare as he could see and just as tall. Some were empty, but most had inmates, one, two, or three to a cell in some cases.

He finally locked eyes with a prisoner across from him, the one who had first spoken. A woman with blue skin and sharp features, part Centauri by the look of it. Johnny wondered how she’d ended up here.

“It itches,” he replied.

“Life itches,” the blue woman said, a casual shrug of her shoulders. “From what I understand, you kept igniting and burning them up before they could fix the damage. Death, rebirth, inferno, death. You’re some circle of life, my friend.”

She grinned at him and her teeth were sharp, something wicked danced behind her eyes. Still, it was comforting to know exactly what happened. He mulled over the information.

So he had died. The crushing blow of Annihilus’ axe did happen. But he’d been revived. Johnny touched his forehead again, still slick and squirming. The worms did that somehow, brought him back. They could do that here.

Johnny’s hands slammed up against the prison’s glassy wall. “What? So, no one dies here now? Tell me, someone else was brought in with me then, right? He—he has brown hair.”

Johnny’s eyes scanned the honeycombed cells, trying to find—

“No one’s come in but you,” another voice said, this one was green and tall. She had a crown of ornate brown braids brushing at her shoulders.

“But, you said—”

“Welcome to the Negative Zone, Burning Man,” the green woman cut over him. “Here, everything starts with death. It’s the genesis...like biological reincarnation.” Her eyes stared him down, unsympathetic. “But only if Annihilus wills it so.”

Johnny crumpled, knees hitting the stone floor, hard. He barely felt it.

“No one’s come in but you,” she repeated.

So that was it then. Just him.

“Who are you people?” he asked, hollowly.

The blue woman stood up. “Annihulis has thousands of prisoners. But we are Universal Inhumans—specifically the Light Brigade. My name is Els Udonta, the Stone-Thrower.” Els nodded towards the green woman in the cell above hers. “That’s Dara Ko Eke, the All-Knowing.”

The green woman—Dara—had already turned her back on him to lay on her stone cot.

Els continued, pointing below at a man who looked a lot like herself. “Our angry brother sitting silent in the corner is Prax Ord, a metallic titan and the one next to him in the dress is the Hooud--or Creeping Death, the great beast of the apocalypse.”

The Hooud smiled at him and looked more like a featherless overgrown chicken than Creeping Death but Johnny would take her word for it.

He barely listened as Els told him how the Light Brigade willingly sacrificed themselves, looking for the prophesied battle. How they’d found it here as prisoners. An endless fight to win or die.

Johnny really didn’t care anymore.

“So what? All five of you came here willingly just to die?”

“Not five, human—five and one—six warriors for sacrifice.” Dara said, turning back to him, green skin glistening. “Our brother Kal Blackbane, is in the Arena. He fights for his life. He fights for the pleasure of Annihilus.”

“What a load of shit,” Johnny said. “Fight, die, resurrection, and then all over again? That’s what you…me... _we_ do now? We just die?”

The metallic man finally lifted his head to speak—Prax Ord—Johnny recalled. “You weren’t listening, boy.” His body was folded on the ground, arms bent over his knees. Eyes defeated. “We are the Light Brigade. We don’t die. We die magnificently.”

* * *

 

The first night was quiet, alone in his cell. Or at least he pretended it to be with all the thousands of prisoners around him. Johnny imagined he could hear this dead place wasting away right above him.

He just needed to wait for rescue, Johnny tried to think. His family would get him once they realized he was still alive.

He couldn't even make his thoughts sound convincing.

Johnny crossed his arms tight over his chest as he tried to find a comfortable spot on the stone bench of his cell, he wanted to fall asleep, escape the nightmare he was currently living. Hide from the guilt that was threatening to swallow him whole. Even if his family could rescue him. What would they find? Him trapped. Peter dead.

Johnny’s heart clenched. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up about Peter. Annihilus would never be so generous.

And something worse, maybe it was Johnny’s fault Peter couldn’t be brought back in the first place. Could the worms bring someone back from a pile of ash? Could a body be revived that no longer existed?

Johnny stretched his powers out trying to map the place around him. He had long since memorized the feel of Peter’s body heat. Always so easy to pick out of a crowd—warmer than most other people. But he couldn’t push out of the narrow corridor, winding through the walls of honeycombed cells, the weird air of the Negative Zone made everything feel staticy and wrong. He wouldn’t be able to feel for Peter even if he tried a hundred times.

“Dammit,” Johnny said, to no one in particular. The suffocating sensation creeping up on him once again.

He curled in on himself as he lay on the stone cot. His nails digging roughly into his forearms. The hole in his chest threatening to swallow him. Johnny’s throat burned as he fought back the bile.

He had no way of knowing how long he’d been dead before Annihilus had revived him but it only felt like a few hours since the alarms went off at the gate. Johnny could still see the resigned look on Peter’s face as he’d sighed and said, “I’ll stay, for this but it's a great personal sacrifice, I assure you.”

Johnny had _laughed_ at him for that when it was all just a routine trip to the Negative Zone. Johnny remembered thinking that maybe if he played his cards right, he might even convince Pete to stay a little while longer after they cleared up whatever the mess was.

How they’d all make it back like they always did.

But now he was alone and Peter was dead.

* * *

 

Johnny was left by himself for weeks, watching as the other prisoners were led in and out, returning alive or tossed unceremoniously back into their cells as black worms stitched their dead bodies back together.

True to their word the Universal Inhumans survived more than most, all in search of their glorious battle. The other prisoners feared them more than most.

Still even their luck ran out.

He watched as Dara was hauled back by the guards, her skin more grey than green. A huge hole ripped through her torso and clawed marks down her face. Worms were spilling on the floor as they dragged her. When they shoved her in the cell, her body slumped against the clear barrier.

Johnny felt sick.

Eventually they came for him too.

“Ssstand up,” a guard hissed. Johnny looked up in surprise before he slowly got to his feet. “Face the wall.”

Johnny did as he was told, he felt the shackles placed heavy around his wrists before the guard grabbed his arm, and pulled him onto the floating platform, taking him to ground level.

The Hooud grinned as Johnny passed him. “Good luck, burning boy.”

Johnny said nothing.

The guard clicked out his insults the entire way. Johnny grit his teeth. It would be so easy to burn him, to run, but there was no place to go. The portal was still closed and he had no way of opening it and even if he could no way to do it safely. Dying for the rest of his life seemed a small price to pay to keep the gate protected.

He was lead into a large room where he found other prisoners waiting. Some were in shackles like him, others were chained up along the walls, a few were allowed to mill about like there weren’t being forced into this. Johnny made note to watch out for those ones.

He could hear the screams of a crowd, the muffled clangs of fighting, an announcer riling up all those in attendance.

And then too soon he heard his name called, booming over all the other noise, “Today we have a real treat for all those in attendance. I’m sure some of you even remember him. He flies, he burns, and he’s not to bad on the eyes either. The Human Torch!”

Johnny stepped through the huge sliding doors. The arena was even bigger than he imagined, the worst kind of spotlight now trained on him. Thousands and thousands of attendees lined the colosseum. Vaguely, he wondered what saved them from being prisoners like himself.

Annihilus sat towering above them all, in his high backed throne, the cosmic control rod swinging lazily from his axe. His smile was gruesome.

“And who is the lucky challenger today, you ask? A crowd favorite for sure, the only one we thought had a chance against the Negative Zone’s great enemy. The Stone Thrower!”

From the other side of the arena Johnny caught sight of an unmistakable blue. Els stood there a huge spear in her right hand. She didn’t acknowledge the crowd even as they screamed her name.

The horn sounded and suddenly she was running at him, spear raised.

He dodged the first swing. “Woah, hey stop. What are you doing?”

“Stand still Johnny Storm and I will end you quick.”

“Stop! I’m not going to fight you.”

“But you will die for me.”

When she swung her spear down Johnny melted it right from under her. “No, this is crazy he can’t make us fight.”

Els threw down her melted spear. Johnny smiled.

He felt the dagger shoved between his ribs before he ever saw it.

Johnny stumbled back clutching the ornate silver hilt. The crowd was too loud. The announcer was already congratulating Els, waving her arm in the air.

He tried to pull the dagger out but his hands were too slick with blood.

He fell to the side hard. His hands clutching at the hilt lodged in his stomach. He was breathing in dirt and dust.

All he could think was the Light Brigade. Searching for a magnificent death. There was no magnificent about this feeling.

* * *

 

When Johnny woke it wasn’t in his cell and for a moment he thought he was back in his room at Baxter, body sinking into soft pillows.

But that wasn’t possible.

He lunged up from the bed.

The room was large, dark, and swathed in purple. He’d been laid out on a huge bed adorned with dozens of embroidered silk pillows. Lush curtains hung around the bed obscuring most of his view. Someone had changed him from the slick battle uniform to a simple white shirt and loose black pants. The fabric was like a cloud against his skin. It made his skin crawl.

He ripped off the shirt expecting to see the gaping hole Els had left there. But it was all smooth unblemished skin. He didn’t want to think about all the worms that were probably needed to stitch him back together.

He needed to get out of here.

As Johnny left the bed he spotted a fireplace filled with sickly green flames tucked in the corner. A huge high backed chair was turned facing the bed.

Annihilus sat there. He’d been watching him.

Johnny’s blood ran cold.

“Why am I here?” he demanded, even though he knew, could feel Annihilus’ cruel red eyes rake down his body, over his chest, down his stomach.

Annihilus liked what he saw.

“You sssee what happenss to the otherss,” Annihilus hissed, standing from his chair and moving closer, circling him. “You’ve felt what hapensss when you don’t play by my ruless. You could be ssspared”

Johnny stood there as Annihilus’ eyes slid down Johnny’s body again, slick like an oil spill. He flinched as rancid breath reached his nose.

When Annihilus made a grab for him, Johnny was ready.

“ _Don’t fucking touch me_ ,” he said, lighting up before Annihilus could curl a hand through his hair.

He hated himself a little bit, because that offer—it was too easy to imagine. In this room, so close to this huge bed covered in silks. Him bent over on his hands and knees, skin glistening green in the flickering light. His hands fisting in the sheets as he let Annihilus have his way with him.

All to escape a little pain.

His hands were shaking. He clenched them into fists so the Annihilus wouldn’t see.

Annihilus backed up just a step, looking at him head tilted. His mouth split into a gruesome smile. “Then die,” he clicked out, and without warning he grabbed Johnny’s neck through the flames. “A hundred thoussand timesss.”

* * *

 

The next time Johnny was brought to the arena he refused to fight. Annihilus couldn’t make him do anything he didn’t want to do. He wouldn't be used as some hollow entertainment.

That lasted a week.

He couldn’t take being ripped apart over and over. Waking up to find those slithering bugs grafting his muscle, skin, organs back together. He couldn’t take it anymore. He was weak.

Weak enough to start fighting back.

So, he burned them all because he couldn’t take being ripped apart.

Months passed before Johnny faced Els in the arena again she didn’t even have a chance to charge before he burnt her to ash. He’d made it quick so it wouldn’t hurt.

He hoped it hadn’t hurt. He’d killed Peter the same way.

Johnny asked her how it felt.

“Like a hundred thousand boiling points of crystal white pain,” she said, simply. “But no matter, Burning Man, next time I’ll kill you.”

Johnny nodded.

She was right.

* * *

 

“No, fool. Awakening with a still open wound is the most abhorrent,” Kal Blackbane snorted through his horse-like snout. He slammed his cup on the table.

The Hooud shook their head. “My friend, you err. A revival while the doctors are still stuffing you. Even an eternal death is preferred.”

“You guys are both wrong,” Johnny said. “It’s when you wake up and think your fine, no open wounds, no pain. But the worms are their anyway fixing your collapsed lung, or or crushed organs. Where you only know they're there when you feel them working. That’s the worst way to wake up.”

Kal looked at him consideringly. “The Burning Man has a point.”

There were only three places prisoners went every single day. Their cell, the arena, and the mess hall. Johnny guessed it was just easier to feed everyone in groups than in their single cells. The guards walked down the aisles constantly making sure none of them tried anything. As if there was any place better to go.

Johnny shoved another spoonful of the tasteless gruel in his mouth.

“So,” Johnny said. “Any word on the others?”

Johnny hadn’t been called to the arena yesterday while the entire Light Brigade had been summoned. Only Kal and the Hooud returned.

“Lin’yk’s tusks ripped through Prax. The first battle of the day,” the Hooud said. “Els and Dara both fell to a newcomer.”

“New blood, they underestimated his strength. It was over quickly. I was to be brought in to fight him next but he attacked the crowds. Annihilus had to take him down himself.” Kal thumped his chest with a curled fist. “It will be an honor to kill him one day.”

“What’s his name,” Johnny wondered, it smart getting as much intel as he could on a new opponent. He wasn’t worried though if all they had was strength. Fire beat that any day.

“The announcer called him the Spider-Man from Earth.”

Johnny’s heart stopped. “What did you just say?”

“The Spider-Man?” Kal repeated. “Are you familiar. You must tell me his weakness.”

Johnny reached from across the table and grabbed Kal by his prison collar. “What did he look like?”

“Unhand me,” Kal said, pulling Johnny’s hand away. “The warrior was human, brown hair, stronger than he looked.”

“Peter.”

“Peter?” the Hooud asked. “The one you travelled here with—”

A horn blared, signaling their time out of the cells had ended.

Johnny still thrummed with excitement.

_Peter was alive._

When he was back in his cell Johnny laughed. He laughed until his throat ached. He laughed until he cried.

It was weeks before he saw him.

* * *

 

Johnny made the steady walk to the arena, guards at his shoulders. He was first of the day, the opening act.

Annihilus had been taking great pleasure in watching him get ripped apart.

He was pushed in the holding cells with the rest of the fighters of the day. He watched them closely, wondering if any one of them would be his. Every day he searched for a familiar face.

Johnny's breath caught. The man in chains stapled to the wall. There was no mistaking him even after all these months, head bowed but still a defiant set to his shoulders.

“Pete,” he whispered, and it felt like for the first time in this dead place he could breathe again.

Peter’s head snapped up and suddenly he was standing, pulling at the chains cementing him to the wall. His eyes wild. “Johnny,” he said. “Johnny, Johnny, Johnny - ”

Johnny heard the announcer call his name, promising burnt flesh and destruction for the upcoming fight. The crowds yelled their approval.

But nothing mattered but Peter. Johnny melted the shackles right off his wrists and ran towards Peter before anyone could stop him. He grabbed Peter’s face between his fingers. Alive. Alive. Alive.

“Peter,” he said, fingertips running restless down sharp cheekbones. He doesn’t know why he does it except nothing felt better than the moment he was in right now. Peter alive and warm at his fingertips. “You’ve got to know,” he leaned in just a brush of lips. Chains clanged as Peter tried to move—whether it was to pull Johnny closer or push him away he didn’t know.

Johnny never found out. He was being dragged away, a guard’s claw digging into his back, Peter screaming after him. He heard the telltale crack of chains snapping, of guards struggling to hold Peter back. He couldn't turn even after he heard the unmistakable sound of Peter punching a hole through a someone's chest.

“Hope it hurt,” Johnny muttered to himself already squinting against the glare of the arena.

* * *

 

He was back in what what could only be called the morgue. He usually only woke up after he'd been dropped back in his cell. This was the first time he remembered being back here since his first resurrection, he guessed the Tok’r did more damage on him than usual.

“Lesssss wormss each time,” the surgeon hissed in his ear. Johnny jumped. “Dying suitsss you.”

“Still gross.” He clenched and unclenched his fingers trying to rid the rigor mortis still aching in his joints. He blinked hard to gain the sight back in his eyes.

“Not him though,” the creep said, pointing a sharp talon to the other cot and Johnny felt his breath catch. Peter was lying next to him, skin sickly grey, an arm hanging off, torso split in two. Eyes wide and unblinking. _Still so dead_. “Not even a good death. Had to put himsss down. Killing the guardsss, trying to getss you.”

Johnny watched the worms move sluggishly repairing Peter’s damaged limbs. The surgeon was still talking. “My wormsss don’t like your friend.”

“You mean…” Johnny said, throat too tight. “They aren’t working?”

“Alwayssss work. Just takess longer.”

A relieved sob escaped his throat more painful than anything in the arena. “Great, out of all the bugs not to like him—”

“We won’t letss him die. He isss fun, interesssting blood, affectsss lower life-formsss.” The surgeon walked over to the wall and opened a drawer to reveal dozens of vials of dark red blood.

Is that what they’ve been doing to Peter all this time--kept him as a lab rat because his radioactive spider blood was somehow useful to them, and when they got what they wanted throw him in the arena? “What do you mean he has interesting blood?”

Before the doctor—or whatever he was—could respond more guards came in and started hauling Johnny from the room. Johnny tried to burn them but his arms were still too cold and stiff for more than a few sparks.

They slammed his head in the wall instead.

Johnny jolted back to consciousness as a guard shoved Peter into his cell. “A gift from Annihilusss,” the guard hissed at him.

Johnny rushed over to him. Peter was still stiff and cold to the touch but at least he was back in one piece. Johnny wrapped the dirty old blanket around his shoulders as if it would do any good.

He sat curled up at Peter's side, fingers occasionally threading through his dark locks. It was the first time he’d seen Peter up close like this since before the gate. He didn’t look too different, a little thinner, skin paler. His brows were still thick but there were large circles under his eyes. He still looked dead.

Peter returned to him, bit by bit over the next few hours. His body temperature rising to the familiar inferno.

“Torch?” Peter’s voice was rough. Johnny startled at the sound.

“Oh, God,” Johnny pulled him close, tears slipped down his cheeks. “Peter.”

“Are you okay? I remember them taking you to the arena.” His brow furrowed. “I tried to get you.”

“I’m fine. Better than you.” He could still see the image of Peter in pieces at the morgue.

Heat rushed through Johnny’s face and suddenly, Peter was too close. “Wait, You kissed me.”

“I--uh,” Johnny stuttered. He’d completely forgotten about that. “You see--”

Peter’s hand slotted at Johnny’s neck and he kissed him back and there was no better feeling in all the world than Peter’s lips on his. When Peter pulled back he was smiling.

“Just so you know where I stand,” he said, brows wagging.

“Shut up,” Johnny said, and he kissed him again. Peter's warm hand was just beginning to slip under Johnny's prison garb when—

“Some of us are trying to sleep over here,” Dara yelled from her cell.

“I’m not stopping you!” Peter yelled back. “Maybe keep it down, it’s rude and some of us are busy.” Johnny muffled his laughter in Peter’s shoulder.

Dara made a disgusted noise.

Johnny picked his head up just to yell back. “Oh please, as if I can’t hear you and Else sucking face all night when the guards shove you in the same cell.

“Don’t say you didn’t enjoy the show, Storm," Els called out. "It’ll be nice for someone to finally return the favor.”

Peter pulled Johnny closer as he squinted at her. “I think I know her,” he said to Johnny. "And I'm not a fan."

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure you shoved her head through the arena walls once. A couple weeks ago all she did was brag how she’d returned the favor.”

“Oh, right. I hate her.”

“Really, because the way she goes on you’d think you two were best friends.”

“Well, she needs to get better at taking a hint,” Peter said, glaring into her honeycomb cell. “All she wants to do is stab me.”

Els stared back eyes wicked sharp, hand curled at her hip, smirk wide and taunting.

“Oh, you mean to tell me you actually gave her a hint,” Johnny said, not looking up, as he'd pulled Peter's hand to his lap, preoccupied with pushing warmth under Peter’s skin, playing with his fingers.

“What?” Peter asked, turning to scowl. “Other than the arctic winds of my hatred? Do I have to shove her through another wall?”

“Listen,” Johnny said, lowering his voice as the guards glided passed their cell. “We need her and all the Light Brigade on our side.” Johnny dropped his head to Peter’s shoulder. “Face it, Pete. You have never left a good impression in your life. Being here didn’t change that so I’m going to need you to make nice with the only allies we got.”

* * *

 

“Yeah, not great allies, flamebrain,” Peter grumbled, returning to their cell after battle. He was rotating his recently reattached arm that Kal had chopped off hours before.

Johnny winced at the wound, he’d been on the receiving end of the Midnight Blade enough times to know it’s biting touch.

“Well,” he said, instead. “You probably deserved it.”

Peter glared balefully at him, before pulling Johnny in by the hips to kiss at his neck. “I did _not_.”

Johnny wrapped his arms around Peter’s shoulders and closed his eyes. Just to feel him. They’d been stuck in this cell for months now and in that time had slipped into some type of nightmare routine.

Wait to be called to the arena. Wait for the other to come back, hopefully in just one piece. Johnny usually stayed in one piece, anyway.

It was a joke among the prisoners. The Spider-Man couldn’t leave the arena until Annihilus put him down himself. That usually left Johnny a lot of pieces to worry about.

But other than waiting for your prison boyfriend to wake up after getting cut into pieces. Everything was manageable.

The days were always rough. Peter never talked about what happened to him when Johnny wasn't there.

Nights were better—at night they had each other.

Peter grabbed a fistful of Johnny’s uniform, dragging him until there were only inches apart. The kiss was desperate and sloppy like it always was.

Peter’s hands shook in a way he’d never allow in daylight.

“Easy, now.” Johnny grabbed Peter’s wrists, thumbs resting on his pulse. He sunk them to the ground behind the tiny stone cot--the most privacy they'd ever get in this place. He swung one leg over Peter’s slender hips. Kissing down his jawline.

Peter’s hands climbed up his body, warm. He let Peter twist them, Johnny’s back hitting the cool ground. Peter’s mouth sucking kisses down his neck and when Peter nipped at his collarbone Johnny’s eyes rolled back.

Sometimes the only thing that could erase the ache in his broken body was at night and the way Peter gripped his waist—punishing in a different way than the rest of this cruel world.

It was something Johnny needed, something he’d wanted for years. But he knew in this moment Peter needed it more than even him. The only action in this place that wasn’t forced upon him. The only time he was in control. And Johnny let him. Would always let him, giving as much or as little as Peter needed because Johnny was just glad he had this at all. That he wasn’t alone anymore, and if this could keep Peter from bowling head first in another hasty plan to get at Annihilus, could curb his insolence for just one day, well that was one less time Johnny would have to watch him die. One less time for him to wonder if there really was something about Peter’s blood that would eventually make Annihilus’ worms stop working.

Johnny couldn’t stop the choked off noise as Peter slid two slick fingers into him.

All he could feel were Peter’s strong hands. “C’mon,” he said. “ _C’mon_.”

Peter didn’t need telling twice.

After, as Johnny felt deliciously spent, he pulled Peter closer, settling into an embrace, reveling in his heat, soaking up his strength. His fingers threaded through that brown hair.

Everything was just so much with Peter, always had been, and right now his chest felt fit to burst. Johnny wondered what it would feel like to die from such pleasure for once. With Peter he could almost imagine it.

"Tell me what they did to you before you came here,"Johnny asked. He'd been working up the courage for weeks. He had to know.

Peter sighed. "I don't know," he said. "I was passed out for most of it."

"And when you weren't?"

"They took blood, lots and lots of blood. Took blood until I died, most times."

Johnny made a wounded sound. He kissed Peter's shoulder.

"Do you know what for?"

"Apparently, it can be used to control some of the lower lifeforms in Annihilus' army," Peter frowned. "It's happened before, once with the Silver Surfer we ran into Annihilus' creepy insect army and well they listened to me. I guess it's something to do with my blood and they're taking it straight from the source, the freaks."

"I'm sorry."

"Nah, don't be, I'm here now," he said.

Peter pulled him closer, dropping a kiss to his hair.

“You know, you were suppose to take my place,” Johnny whispered later, as they lay tangled together on the hard stone floor.

Peter was more preoccupied tracing his fingertip along Johnny’s collarbone. “What?”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “You were suppose to take my place on the team,” he elaborated. “I gave it to you, in my will, wanted to give you my family. You—you’re the only one I would trust with that.”

Peter’s head turned to look at him. Eyes wide like he couldn’t quite believe Johnny would trust him with the most important parts of his life.

“They’ll get Jen,” he said. “Or—or Luke—”

Johnny shook his head. “I wanted it to be you.”

He remembered making the will. Remembered every single word.

“I said I loved—well I meant to say—that part doesn’t really matter.” Johnny turned fully towards him. He took a deep breath. “I’m leaving you the best thing I ever had,” he recited. “My spot on this team. A place in this family. The best sister, two brothers, niece, and nephew a guy could ask for—”

“Stop.” Peter kissed him. “You know what I was thinking that day? Ben told us to take care of each other and all I could think was, no kidding I’ve been watching out for Johnny my whole life—”

“Hey—”

Peter spoke over him. “—and at the gate when you grabbed me, tried to push me through,” he paused to glare, Johnny didn’t feel the least bit sorry, “well, you see, it didn’t set off my spider-sense, everything was just hot and you were moving and I didn’t know what was happening.”

Peter sounded almost annoyed, Johnny had to kiss him again.

“Of course, I didn’t set off your spidey sense, idiot. I was _trying to save you_. Your dumb alarm system was probably thanking me until you went and ruined it.”

Peter let out an angry huff. His gaze shifted to stare out of their stone cage. The blue of the barrier made the angles of his face sharper.

“I’ve always liked the way you feel,” he admitted. “You’re warm—feels like we’re home.”

Johnny curled in closer. “We’re never getting out of here are we, Pete?”

“Hey—listen. You and me,” Peter said, pressing their foreheads together. “We're gonna make it."

“Yeah?” Johnny said, eyes squeezed shut.

“Yeah.”

Johnny wasn’t so sure.

* * *

 

It was early when Johnny and Peter were dragged from the cell. Linked together by heavy metal chains.

“What’s happening,” Johnny asked.

Peter shrugged. “I’d bet all the money I don’t have that it’s not something good,” he said.

The path was familiar. The arena. Johnny glanced over at Peter and saw him squaring his shoulders.

“Don’t die, alright,” Johnny told him. It didn’t matter either way except Johnny would like to be spared the added nightmares of seeing another one of Peter’s mangled body.

“Only if you don’t,” Peter replied.

The announcer’s shrill voice was already booming over the assembled crowds.

“Annihilation! Annihilation! Today we have a real show for you, a doubles battle royal!” The crowd’s roar was deafening. “The fan favorite John Storm, Annihilus’ own Fantastic One--” the boos were deafening, “is paired with up and comer Spider-Man!”

“I think they like me better,” Peter whispered.

“And who will they face?” the announcer continued. “Only the frightful, the blood thirstingly delightful—Jero’k and Dk’in! Brothers from the planet S’kman always ready to excite us by tearing their opponentss to piecesss!”

The brothers were large, brown, and covered in hair with huge pointed tusks curling from their heads. Both were at least twelve feet tall.

“Let’s get this over with, shall we?”

“You not worried?” Johnny grinned as he took off in the air.

“Oh, please,” he heard Peter yell after him. “I’ve seen worse in Jersey.”

It was too easy. Johnny with his flames. Peter with his speed and strength. He no longer had his web shooters but even without them Peter controlled the fight. Every punch landed hard. They didn’t speak, neither needed to, they both knew what was at stake and were long past feeling guilty for what was being called for. It made a difference knowing no matter what happened the pieces were brought back, the game continued.

It was when Peter stopped playing by the rules that everything went to hell.

He ripped a huge piece of rock off the wall and flung it at Annihilus, the rock hit the Cosmic Control Rod and exploded into a million tiny pieces, obscuring everything from view. Johnny flew towards the wreckage, urging himself faster at every passing second.

He could only see glimpses of the fighting. Peter tossing guards off the ledge, ripping at everything he could find. Trying to put Annihilus off balance just enough to get in and end it all.

Johnny saw it a second before it happened. Peter lunging but Annihilus was quick too and strong enough to bring all the Negative Zone under his command.

“No!” Johnny yelled, as Annihilus impaled Peter on his free hand. Peter coughed and blood spurted up between his lips.

“Oh wow, thanks for that, I had an itch,” Peter said, grinning with red stained teeth.

Johnny screamed as he launched himself at Annihilus, fire spewing from his fingertips, anything to make him move, to get him away from Peter.

The fire did nothing.

Using the arm still holding his axe—the Cosmic Control Rod nestled on top—and not the one currently inside Peter’s chest. He sent a pulse of energy that slammed Johnny backwards into the wall behind him. Johnny tried to get up but both of his legs were broken. So was his skull, blood ran heavy down the side of his face. He was already lightheaded.

He crawled forward anyway. Even though he knew it was useless. Even worse knowing that none of this really mattered. Peter would be brought back. Johnny would be brought back and they’d have to do this all over again tomorrow.

He focused on Peter, finding him again through the settling dust. Still hanging from Annihilus’ arm, the arrogant arch of his neck prominent, still so defiant in the face of death. He stayed proud even as Annihuls removed his hand and swung the axe.

The crowds cheered.

Annihilus approached him, staring down consideringly before he picked Johnny up by the hair and dragged him off, away from the jeers of the arena and down winding corridors he couldn’t recognize.

“You will give usss the gate” Annihilus hissed.

“We can do this forever, Annihilus.," Johnny wheezed out. "That gate is never going to open from this side again. We made sure of that.”

He slammed Johnny into the wall by the neck. All Johnny could do was take it, his legs hanging broken and useless, blood still dripping down his face.

“You are pathetic, human. I will show you sssomething.”

Annihilus brought him to a room lined with holomoniters. A huge one in the center of the room casting everything in a tinted blue light and on the screen was—

Johnny could barely believe his eyes. “My God...Reed.”

But it wasn’t his Reed. Johnny knew right away. Something was off in his posture, lines too deep in his face, an unsympathetic look in his eyes. A Reed from another world, a familiar concept, but not a welcome one.

“Ssssspeeeeak, Richards.”

“It’s simple, really,” the not-Reed said. “I would like to return to my own world, but to do that I’m going to need to gain access to the Negative Zone...I’m going to need to briefly open a large portal to your Earth. What would it take for you to assist me in doing this?”

“Leeave it open,” Annhilus replied. “Open for armies and destruction, for annihilation.”

“That can be arranged,” this Reed said, voice steely. “I’ll give you a list of materials, place them around this side gate. As well as the portal in Baxter. I assume you have someone on the other side who can make it happen?"

"Yessss."

"Good, you have two days.”

“No!” Johnny yelled.

Annihilus turned towards him. “Sssseee, human, no one escapessss the wrath of Annihilusss.” He pointed at the stationed guards. “Kill him.”

* * *

 

Johnny woke with a scream. Twisted nightmares from the arena blending with dread at what he’d learned from Annihilus. He searched for Peter’s form in the darkness.

He wasn’t here.

Panic rose hard enough in his throat to be suffocating. Peter should be here, even with his wounds, he should be back. Everyone else was sleeping so he knew it was too early to be dragged backed into the arena. Whatever passed as morning in this dead place had yet to come. He punched at the prison cell, his knuckles split, his hands shook. A guard finally took notice.

“Do you want to die?” the guard clicks, yellow eyes hard and glaring.

“Where is he?” Johnny yelled, pointing to his empty cell. He heard as the others around him started to stir. “ _Where is he_?”

The guard contemplated him for a moment before his mouth split into a gaping smile.

“Don’t worry aboutss him. Our ssscientistss take care of favoritess.”

Johnny felt cold. He’d assumed they were done with whatever experiments they’d done to Peter since his appearance in the arena.

His hands were curled into fists and he wanted to hit something, but there was nothing save glass and stone, at least not until tomorrow when they dragged him back to the arena.

He laid back on his cold stone cot and wondered if after everything Peter had been through he regrets his choice to stay. If he’d wished he had escaped through the gate when he had the chance.

Johnny felt a hot flash of guilt knowing he’s glad Peter was here with him instead.

They had to get out of here.

Johnny punched at the cell walls. “Els! Dara! We have to find Peter. You have to help me get out of here. If we work together we can find a way out—”

“And what is your plan,” Els asked, dismissively. “Escape is always the easy part. But what after? Maybe if you knew some way beyond Annihilus’ reach?”

“He doesn’t,” Dara said. “Just crying because he lost his companion and he wants us to risk our necks for him.”

Johnny’s jaw clenched. “He plans to invade my world. We stayed to prevent that. We died so it would never happen.”

Prax stood up, eyeing him through the glass disdainfully. “And what? You will die again if you escape your cage. There is no escaping the horde. Nothing but endless frustration, our noble deaths beyond reach.”

Johnny fingers drummed against the glass. There had to be a way out. Something they’d overlooked. He had to make them see.

“Do you know a way to kill Annihilus?” Dara asked.

“That’s the problem," Johnny muttered. "I don’t think there is a way to kill him at least not here in the Zone, but maybe—”

“Speak up, Burning Man,” Kal said, hooves stomping agitated on the ground.

“Maybe we don’t have to kill him, I mean,” Johnny said looking at them all. “The Negative Zone wasn’t always like this. A prison on a prison. It was wild, extraordinary. But he claimed it, used his Cosmic Control Rod to control his armies, the Annihilation Wave, the horde, everything and now he’s going to use it to open the gate. He keeps it on his axe. If we get it, time everything just right we can stop him, stop the Wave from attacking Earth and escape from under Annihilus' rule.”

Els smiled. “Finally, I think we should give it a whirl. Kal?”

“I will fight for you human.”

“Prax? Dara?" Els continued. "Fight with me."

Prax gave a single nod just as Dara said, “Always.”

“We still have to find Peter and get out of here. We’re stuck in these cages but maybe--”

“Fool!” the Hooud howeled. “You think the Creeping Death can be constrained by the likes of glass and steal? That this bests the universal laws of conversion? We could escape anytime!”

His body began to glow. Johnny could feel the heat of him through the glass.

“Well...why didn’t you then?” Johnny demanded.

“Surrounded...no way home,” he said, “there was no point at all, until now. So, Johnny Storm, what will it be--glory or death?”

“Oh--” Johnny grinned, catching on quickly, sparks skidded off his skin. “Flame on.”

Between the two of them the glass of their cells warped and melted with ease.

“I'll meet you at the gate,” Johnny said, as he flew down the corridor. “There’s someone I have to find.”

Johnny wound his way through the complex, not once seeing a guard. They must all be at the gate, he realized. Prepping for the invasion. He had to move faster. There was only one place Johnny knew to look.

He pushed open the doors of the morgue.

Peter was strapped to the table struggling to break free. Metal shackled bound his hands and feet. Vials and vials of blood surrounded him.

“Johnny,” he said, relieved as Johnny rushed towards him. “Are you alright?”

“I’m not the one handcuffed to a table, right now. Thanks,” he said as he melted Peter's chains off of him. “It’s nice to be saving you for once, gotta say, would have preferred to find you in a glass box though, but I’ll take what I can get.”

“Yeah, yeah laugh it up,” Peter said, bringing Johnny forward for a quick kiss. “Are you sure you're okay? How are you even here?”

“We’re escaping,” Johnny said.

“What? How?”

Johnny did his best filling Peter in with the details. The not-Reed, Annihilus’ plan, and—“If this works it just might be out ticket hom.”

Peter nodded. “Still have an insect army to beat.”

“Yeah.”

“And somehow we have to get that axe from Annhilus.”

“Yeah.”

“And--” Johnny shoved his hand over Peter’s mouth.

“You in?” Johnny asked.

He felt as Peter kissed the palm of his hand.

“Duh.”

* * *

The battle was in full swing when they arrived at the gate.

True to their word The Light Brigade was magnificent, cutting through the horde like nothing stood in their way.

But there were still too many.

“Watch this,” Peter said, and suddenly he pulled out some of the many blood vials Johnny has seen around the morgue. He threw them into the horde. The effect was instantaneous as every insect soldier stilled around them.

“This is your blood?”

“You know it,” Peter said before cupping his hands and shouting, “Attack Annihilus!”

And then the real chaos began.

The army seemed to fold on on itself as the middle took out its own flanks in a bid to get to Annihilus.

“Come on,” Peter said, “It don't know how long it'll last. Let’s find those allies of yours.”

The Light Brigade had corned Annihilus, not that it did much good. Every twist of his wrist pushed them farther away with sharp power bursts from the axe.

Johnny flew Peter so they landed between Annihilus and the gate. Johnny surged forward as the Hooud let heat rip around them catching Annhilus by surprise. Kal sliced at Annhilus’ knees with his midnight sword.

The Cosmic Control Rod let out another puls and they were all blown back. All except Johnny who hung onto the hilt trying to grab at the yellow light. But he wasn’t going to reach it in time he couldn’t—

“Let’s try the same trick again shall we?” Peter had gotten to his feet, slicing his hand open on Kal’s discarded blade, shoving his hand over Annihilus’ face. “Stop moving.”

Annihilus froze. Johnny grabbed the Rod. He felt the power pulses through his entire body. Suddenly he was aware of every being under Annihilus’ control. Under his control now.

"Huh," Peter said. "I didn't think that was going to work."

With a simple wave of his hand Johnny stopped what was left of the army stopped, the ships stalled in the sky.

Annihilus looked smaller than ever.

Peter bent over him, lip curled in disgust and kicked him. “You’re lucky I don’t have his powers. I would melt you, I would boil your alien blood to nothing, cook you from the inside out.” He bent down wrapping his hands around Annihulus’s throat. “I guess I’ll have to settle with tearing you apart.”

“Peter--stop,” Johnny said, hand bracing at his shoulder. He knew if Peter really wanted to kill Annihilus, Johnny wouldn’t stop him. But slowly he watched as Peter’s posture relaxed.

“Open the gate.”

Leaving the Negative Zone was a lot like escaping the oppressive haze of his worst nightmare. Johnny felt lighter stepping through the portal. Not realizing the weight in his stomach or the strain on his body until both sensations lifted.

It was almost indescribable with Peter warm at his side, the horrors they’d suffered finally behind them.

Johnny’s first few breaths felt like fire, cleansing the dead air from his lungs.

He looked around. Everything practically dripping with color. His world was bright and familiar burned back into his retinas.

Johnny barely had time to smile, to speak before Peter turned, his strong arms encircling Johnny and lifting him right off his feet. Peter tipped his head back and laughed. “We’re alive!”

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at that. All he could do was lock his legs tight around Peter’s waist and kiss him. It was wet and clumsy but he didn’t care. One of Peter’s hands splayed at the base of his spin. Johnny’s fingers curled in Peter’s hair.

They only broke apart to catch their breath. Johnny leant back in Peter’s grip, head tilted back, he paused.

“Okay...put me down,” Johnny said, still gazing up. “Say didn’t home have a roof?”

Peter looked up too. “Remodeling?”

“Oh God.”

They both turned. Johnny’s heart stopped. Reed— _his Reed_ —stood at the doorway, jaw hanging far too low for anyone other than Mr. Fantastic.

“Johnny? Peter?”

“Hey, Reed.” Johnny smiled.

Not a second later he found himself wrapped tight in Reed’s embrace, his arms looping around his shoulders again and again. “I—we thought, Johnny you’re back—you’re back.”

“Can’t get rid of me that easy, old man.”

Reed laughed before finally loosening his grip. He pulled Peter in for a hug next.

“Uh, thanks Reed,” Peter mumbled against his shoulder. “It’s real good to see you.”

Reed only pulled back when the rest of the Light Brigade followed through the portal.

They’d wrapped Annihilus in chains, Kal handed them to Peter.

“Hey, look we visited the Negative Zone and all we got was this schlocky souvenir.”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “Reed what’s going on? I think we’re missing a couple of stories,” he said, pointing up.

“Val used the panic button to get the kids to safety,” Reed said, still looking at Johnny like he couldn’t believe he was real. “I came back to make sure she did.”

Johnny nodded, his heart felt fit to burst think of Val, Franklin, and the kids. He’d see them all again soon. “And everything else?”

“Kree invasion.”

“Ah, music to my ears,” Peter said, pulling Annihilus along behind him. “You got anything to hold this before we get to work?”

Reed took the chain. “I think I can figure something out.”

“Oh and Reed,” Johnny said, eyeing his uniform, all white and black. “What are you wearing?”

“We came up with new uniforms,” he said, quietly. “Everyone decided a change was warranted after...well it’s also a new formula of unstable molecules third generation I improved the fabrics reactivity to gamma radiated particles."

“They’re hideous,” he said around the lump in his throat.

“Well, you need to suit up anyway,” Reed said as he pushed a panel in the wall and it opened revealing two more white suits.

He passed over Peter’s first. “They’re for the Future Foundation. These suits were in the works for ages before...the breach. They’re only prototypes, obviously. But we always had a spot ready for you.”

“Wow,” Peter replied, voice tight. “Thank you.”

Reed nodded and passed a suit to Johnny too. “I didn’t have the heart to throw them away. Good thing I didn’t.”

Peter and Johnny changed fast like only to people who’d been in the hero business all their lives could do.

Johnny looked at the sky, flames itching under his skin. The best way to say he was back was with lights after all. He nodded at Peter and Reed. Gave a lazy salute to the Light Brigade. “Before we get started. There’s something I have to do.”

The four burned bright in the sky. The Fantastic Four were back.

* * *

 

Johnny had never felt better surrounded by his family again, Franklin and Val latched to his side. Ben’s hand on his back. Sue couldn’t stop smiling.

He looked over at Peter, battle worn and weary still who had a contemplative look in his eye. His mask in hand, his fingers running back and forth over the lenses.

They’d secured the gate. The Kree invasion had been dealt with, for the first time in years Johnny felt like he could breathe again.

“Okay, so lay it on me,” Peter said looking up. “My secret identity. It’s out isn’t it? I mean I’ve dealt with that before and I get it I mean there was really no need to keep it a secret with me dead and all.”

Sue placed a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “No actually, we circulated that Peter Parker and Spider-Man both died with Johnny.”

“What?”

“Peter,” Sue smiled, softly. “You’ve previously interned for Reed and we always wanted you as a possible Future Foundation associate. You were a celebrated engineer for Horizon Labs! We told everyone we brought you in to stabilize the portal.” Sue closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Unfortunately, you, Spider-Man, and Johnny, didn’t make it back.”

Reed nodded. “It was as believable as it was elegant. All we had to do was doctor a few security cameras to make it look as if all three of you were there. It seemed the most proficient way to protect your Aunt.” Reed winced. “May had more questions of course but she knew you always wanted to help no matter the consequences.”

“Oh God, May. I have to go. I have to see—I need, I need to make sure she’s okay,” Peter said, hurriedly. “I’ll see you later.” He stepped away then seemed to think better of it and turned around, grabbing Johnny by the waist, pulling him in to kiss him. Johnny felt lit from the inside out.

Before anyone could utter another word he launched himself out of the window. Johnny watched until he was out of sight.

“Okay,” Sue said. “What just happened.”

Johnny twisted to face her. He felt ready to burst into flame. “Ah, sister dearest, a lot’s changed.”

Sue stared out the window Peter had left from, biting her lip.

* * *

 

“What is it, sis?”

Sue sat next to him on the bed, wringing her hands like she always did when she was upset. Johnny never liked seeing her this way, it reminded him of harder times when it had just been him and Sue. How she’d wring her hands raw at the rickety kitchen table trying to figure out how to pay the bills.

“Johnny,” she took a deep breath before plowing forward, “are you sure about you and Peter—that you two—”

“What are you trying to say,” he cut in. Even though he knew exactly what she was getting at. Knew it because he’d thought the same thing, had been thinking it since Peter had swung out the window earlier today.

“Johnny, I love you, I love you so much and I’m just worried and I know it isn’t my place but, Johnny, in the Zone and maybe that made things….”

Johnny closed his eyes. “Please, Sue—don’t.”

“It’s just that—you are all each other had and I—I don’t want you to get hurt.”

The anymore hung between them like a shroud. She lowered her head as to not meet his eyes. “Just please be careful, baby brother.”

Sue leaned forward and placed a kiss on his forehead. He could feel her body heat lingering in his skin. It always made him feel safe.

She left wordlessly and he tried to go to sleep. To forget about what she’d said but everything felt strange too bright, too big. Too quiet without Peter’s breathing and the hundreds of other prisoner’s to fill the space. Sue’s words continued to echo in his head. The pit in his stomach grew.

He thought about Peter kissing him in that tiny cell—desperate—like he would no longer have to taste the acrid air if he could just breathe in Johnny instead. That had been real.

But things that were real in the Zone, didn’t mean they were real here. Everything was different now. They were free. Peter could do anything he wanted. He didn’t have to share Johnny’s company unless he wanted to.

Before he knew it Johnny was lit up and flying to Queens. Peter had left to see Aunt May but that didn’t mean he’d stayed there. Peter could be searching for another way to erase his face from the minds of the people that knew him. Peter had still seemed worried about his secret identity even with Reed’s explanation. What if he made it so Johnny couldn’t remember again?

Johnny felt sick.

As he flew, Johnny kept his eyes out for red and blue--or white--did he have any spare suits? Would he be wearing the Future Foundation one? Would he be out punching criminals already without even letting Johnny know?

Johnny knew the answer to that last one.

He flamed off in May’s front yard. And for a moment he didn’t know what he was doing there. It was edging towards morning. Should he knock on the door? What would May even say to that? He’d only been to her house a couple times before. Was Peter even still here?

“Johnny?” Peter’s head was sticking out the second floor window. His hair in disarray. Peter wore an old ESU t-shirt and yawned rubbing at his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

Johnny tensed at the question. Did Peter not want him here?

“Uh—I just…” He didn’t know what to say. He shouldn’t of come. Sue was right.

Peter’s eyes softened. “Get up here will you?”

He lit back up to get on the roof before climbing through the open window. Peter shut it behind him.

In the room Johnny could see an old coffee stain on his shirt. Peter’s brows were still furrowed. “Okay, so what—”

Johnny caught Peter’s hands and pulled him forward and kissed him.

“Tell me,” he begged, “that this is okay. That this is real.” He needed an answer, he needed something to ground him back in this familiar world he’d missed so much or risk burning away. “I just wanna make sure, I just—”

Peter pulled him close forehead resting on his even as Johnny stood mortified what he’d just said. “I’m so sure—why you already thinking about ditching me?”

He thought about making a joke but his throat felt too tight. “No,” he said. “Never”

Johnny caught Peter’s face and kissed him again. Moving them back to the bed. When he heard the back of Peter’s knees push up against the frame Johnny pushed him down and climbed on top of him, never once breaking the kiss. He ground down desperate against Peter’s lap, making Peter make that noise Johnny loved.

Johnny bit at his lower lip before breaking the kiss.

“Yo, my aunt and her husband are sleeping downstairs,” Peter mumbled as he chased Johnny’s mouth like he couldn’t live without the touch of his skin. Johnny felt like fire.

“I don’t think we’ll wake them,” Johnny whispered.

“They’d deserve it if they do,” Peter said. Johnny didn’t feel like knowing the story behind that.

Johnny fumbled, hand slipping between their bodies desperately pulling at clothing, as he pulled off the jeans he was wearing the same time Peter was ridding himself of his sweatpants. Johnny moved quickly wrapping both of them in his grip, starting to stroke.

All he could hear was Peter’s ragged breathing in his ear.

“I need you” Johnny said and Peter groaned. He looped both arms around Johnny’s shoulders, pulling him closer, mouthing down the exposed column of his throat. “I just need you.”

Neither of them lasted long.

Peter came first, stifling a curse against Johnny’s neck, his teeth biting into Johnny’s skin only to be soothed over by the sweep of his tongue. Johnny followed suit moments later, groaning as he spilled hot over his hands and down Peter’s stomach.

They laid there for a moment in each others arms before Peter got up and found a towel to wipe them clean.

“Better amenities in the real world, eh?” Peter smirked.

Johnny pulled him down back on top of him, as he pulled the blanket over them both.

“Can I stay,” Johnny asked, quietly. “I’m not sure I can sleep without you.”

Peter smiled. “Hmm, I guess. So spoiled.” Johnny looped an arm around Peter’s waist, smothering a smile.

“Well, Mr. Parker,” he said. “I am accustomed to a certain lifestyle.”

“Oh, yeah?” Peter asked, brows raised. “Does said lifestyle include ruggedly good looking men sleeping with you?”

“Yeah,” Johnny murmured, settling his head over Peter’s heart, tucked right under Peter’s chin. “When you find one, let me know.”

He could feel Peter’s low laugh through his chest.

“Yeah, okay hotstuff. Okay. Though your in charge of explaining this to May in the morning”

Johnny felt as Peter pressed warm lips to his hair.

 _I am so in love with you_ , Johnny thought, desperately.

 

 

**Three Months Later**

Everything was great until it wasn’t.

It was a trash mag that he wouldn’t have even bothered to look at before except now there were about a million of them in the front of the newstand blown wide in color.

Two side by side pictures. One before the Zone--him smiling, careless a pair of sunglasses propped in his tousled hair and then one taken a few days after his return. Captioned-- **FROM HOT TO NOT: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO JOHNNY STORM?**

He didn’t look bad, _he didn’t_. He was thinner, sure. Paler, absolutely. But he was stronger, fighting almost everyday for a year would do that to you. He wasn’t ugly now. _He wasn’t_. He looked in the mirror. No one could see what happened to him and he could almost forget but sometimes he could still feel the phantom wounds on his skin.

He’d mentioned it to Peter that day. He’d felt stupid for saying anything knowing Peter would think it stupid to care so much about trash tabloids but instead Peter just nodded, pulled on his suit and flung himself out the window. Thirty minutes later his phone had blown up with pictures of Spider-Man webbing up hundreds of tabloids and dumping them God knows where.

They fucked three times that night.

“You’re gorgeous,” Peter murmured, against his skin as he pushed in deeper.

“Ah - yeah?” Johnny’s heart stuttered over the compliment.

“Yeah,” Peter murmured, leaning down to kiss him.

The problem was, it wasn’t just Johnny.

Peter tried to be the tough guy, he’d spent so much time on his own as Spider-Man sometimes he thought that’s all there was. And everything affect him so deeply, every experience every nightmare, the claws sunk deeper.

Johnny woke with a start, he’d been dreaming—trapped in the dense, hot state of the Negative Zone, Annihilus’ cruel hands around his throat. The feel of an axe ripping through him, a phantom tingle down his spine. He lay still, trying to calm his erratic heart, an arm thrown over his eyes.

He’d almost fallen back asleep when he heard the sound of harsh breathing, a piteous moan.

Peter twisted wildly beside him, skin glistening with sweat.

Johnny tried to wake him, touching his shoulder gently, murmuring his name. But Peter flinched away, hands twisting in the sheets, shredding them like paper. A broken sound escaped his throat and without warning he moved, hands turning on himself, clawing down his own chest, leaving bloody ribbons in their wake.

“PETER,” Johnny shook him, hard. Heating his fingers just below burning, desperately pulling at his hands.

Peter awoke with a strangled gasp, his skin ashen and sickly grey. Johnny couldn’t help but recall all the other times he’d seen Peter like that—face drained of color—black worms struggling to put him back together.

“Peter,” he said again, hands cradling his face, trying to pull him back to the present.

He woke with a start.

“ _Johnny_ ,” Peter gasped. “I—I—” he stared down at his own chest, his breathing loud and wet and awful like he couldn’t quite get enough oxygen in his lungs.

Johnny’s heart ached as he pushed Peter’s sweaty hair from his face, thumb running along his cheekbone. “Shh—Shh, it’s alright. I’m here. You’re fine. _You’re fine._ ”

Peter wouldn’t meet his eyes even as Johnny pressed their foreheads together, holding him close, trying to let him know— _It’s alright. I’m here. I’m here. Stay with me._

But Peter was already pulling away, and Johnny knew what he was going to do even before he stood up from the bed.

The marks down his chest continued to bleed sluggishly.

“Pete—please, just— _please_ talk to me,” Johnny tried. “I can help—I promise I can help.”

Peter turned to him for just a moment. Dark eyes filled with something that had Johnny’s heart clenching. Peter seemed to hesitate, breath hitching slightly.

“I’m going out,” he said. “Don’t wait up.”

He didn’t look at Johnny again. And Johnny’s chest burned watching Peter shrug into his suit, watching as he quietly slipped out the window. The moonlight glinting off a single strand of webbing before disappearing completely.

He bent over, elbows on his knees, the heels of his palms pressed hard against his closed eyes. His throat burned. He wanted to be mad, he wanted to be furious at Peter for leaving but all he felt was hollow.

Peter never talked about it, even as he always listened to Johnny—letting him curl close, head cradled at his shoulder, comforting him when nothing else could. At night, he would move hot down Johnny’s body, his mouth erasing the memories of old wounds. But Peter never talked about it, chalking it all to just another trauma in the long list that was his life.

The truth was Peter was drowning. And Johnny didn’t know what to do or how to help—story of his life, apparently. He let out a gust of air, somewhere caught between a sob and a sigh. This was deeper than just Peter and his silence, his inability to let people understand him. This was Johnny’s fault too, he must’ve relied too heavily on Peter in the Zone, taking for granted all his strength, his ability to keep going through it all, he’d taken too much from him, leaving Peter nothing to stay afloat—and Peter had let him take it all, would never have denied Johnny anything. And now he was drowning.

He didn’t see Peter for three days.

“You can’t keep this up,” Johnny yelled, when Peter finally crawled through the window after days of silence. The only marks left on him were bruises. They still made Johnny wince. “You’re going to get yourself killed!”

Peter stripped off his gloves and threw them to the floor. His laugh was cold, head tipped back. “Too late for that one.”

Johnny stilled. “Is that what you want,” he asked, his voice calm in a way he did not feel.

“No.” Peter shook his head, apologetic. “No. That’s not what--I’m sorry—look I’m sorry.”

Peter pulled him in and the kiss was wet and greedy. Peter’s tongue licking into Johnny’s mouth, teeth grazing across his lips.

Something was broken with the both of them and Johnny didn’t know how to fix it.

“I don’t know what to do,” he whispered.

“I know, I know,” Peter said. “You talk too much. Kiss me.”

* * *

 

Johnny met Mary Jane for coffee the next week.

He almost regretted it walking up to the store front but she’d already secured a table for them, her red hair shining, sunglasses perched on the top of her head. Picture perfect like always.

She also didn’t waste any time.

“What’s wrong with Peter?”

“Why do you think something wrong?” he replied, defensively.

“Because I know him and you remind me a bit of myself. I worn that look before,” she said, pointing to him. “Too many times to count.”

She was right she did know Peter. Probably knew exactly what to do to help him while Johnny felt like he was barely treading water.

They had always been the perfect couple. What was he even doing here?

Her hand clasped gently over his. Her smile sad.

“He’s my best friend and you’re my friend too please don’t worry. I only want you two to be happy.”

Johnny told her everything, couldn’t stop once he started. Every horrible messed up thing that happened to them. How it felt like nothing he said could reach Peter anymore.

Mary Jane listened through it all never once flinching. When he was finished he sat there staring into his coffee cup, idly he heating it with a finger.

“Oh, Johnny,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”

Johnny’s head tipped back in a sigh. “It’s fine really. I just, I just don’t know what to do. He’s always been so strong but now he’s falling and he won’t let me help.”

Mary Jane nodded, understandingly. “He’s an ass.”

Johnny laughed.

“You have to hold on tight, you know,” she said. “He’s a spider after all, and you have to know, who you are next to him. It’s too easy to get lost in him. Everything about him is a wave. You can’t let yourself be dragged under.”

Johnny nodded. “I don’t know what else I could have expected. I’m just worried about him.”

“Don’t let him close himself off,” Mary Jane told him, looking out penseive over the street. “He’ll try to make up for it and you’ll think he’s okay, that he’s better, he’s not.”

“Thanks, MJ.”

“No, problem,” she said standing up. He helped her with her coat. “Just do what feels right. You have good instincts, you wouldn’t have lasted so long around him if you didn’t. I always forget how long you’ve known him, longer than me.”

Johnny tried to smile. He hadn’t known Peter though, not really. Not like Mary Jane or Harry Osborn or any of Peter’s real friends.

“You’d be surprised,” was all he could muster.

Johnny thinks she understands.

As he watched her go a nasty thought crept up on him. That Peter chose him in the Negative Zone because that was only with him because that was his only choice and now that they were out he wondered if he was second choice. That after all they’d been through Peter felt obligated to be with him. And Johnny hated himself knowing he would take that.

Looking at Mary Jane hadn’t made it any easier.

The sun was close to setting. He lit up and painted it red.

_SPIDEY MEET ME AT THE USUAL PLACE_

He couldn’t remember the last time they’d been to the Statue of Liberty.

It didn’t take long for Peter to show up, to sit next to him between the spikes of Lady Liberty’s crown looking out over the bay.

“You know I’ve loved you for years, right?" Johnny began. "Even when I didn’t know your face. I loved you so much. I knew all these parts of you long before the Negative Zone. And I loved you even then with your all that anger, your hardness, your hate. I get it, I understand it. But this right now, what you won’t tell me about, you have to let me in, Pete.”

“I’m not alright,” Peter said, quietly.

Johnny moved tilting their foreheads together in the coming darkness. “I know. I know. What do you need?”

“Stop it,” Peter said, closing his eyes. “That’s not fair. I’ve been—I don’t know, I’ve been in my own head—not thinking—leaving you alone, too,” he said.

“Yeah, but all things considered. I think I’ve been handling things far better than you have.”

Peter chuckled, quietly before lapsing back into silence.

“I have nightmares,” Peter finally said. He reached forward and gently carded his fingers through Johnny’s hair. Johnny mixed their body heat between the both of them “The worms are inside me, just under the skin. There’s no me left. I’m always about to fall apart.”

Johnny bent down, kissing the center of his chest. “It’s all you, Pete. Just you.”

“I have nightmares,” Peter continued, his arms curling around Johnny. “Of you dying over and over. I can do nothing but watch. We’re in the arena and Annihilus is there, your neck snaps, you’re falling and your neck snaps, I try and catch you—I try to catch you and your neck snaps.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s in the arena.” Johnny tried to reason. “He’d just bring me back.”

“I know, but it’s different now. Out here, one wrong move and you’re dead. I—I can’t let that happen again.”

Johnny’s breath stalled. _Gwen_. Of course, Gwen. Johnny was so stupid he should have thought of it before. Had Peter really been carrying the weight of that every time Johnny had died in the Negative Zone? Peter waiting with him in the cell, waiting for the worms to bring him back. Johnny knew the answer was yes.

“You can’t do that. Blame yourself for anything that happened in the Zone. I won’t allow it.”

“Oh, yeah? You won’t allow it?” Peter said, brows raised.

“Yeah, hey, look at me, look at me. We can do this you know but you have to let me help you. You can’t just shove it away.”

“I don't know if I can." Peter turned so they were eye to eye. "I really really love you. You know that right? I want you all the time. And I'll try.”

Johnny nodded. I was a start. He reached back to tangle his fingers in Peter’s hair. “We’ll get through. How could we not?"

“I know we will.”

**Author's Note:**

> Peter’s blood does do weird stuff to Annihilus’ minions as seen in _Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man #5-6_!


End file.
